Getting your Credit Reports

If you have already gotten your free annual credit reports within the last 12 month period and you don’t qualify for additional free reports, you'll have to pay a fee each time you order a copy of your credit report from a Credit Reporting Agency (CRA). The average cost of a credit report is $10.50 at the time of writing this guide, which totals $31.50 for all three.

Trying to order just your “single” credit report with the credit reporting agency’s websites can also be difficult. For whatever reason, they do not make it easy. The CRAs are in the business of selling more than a “single” credit report. You’ll see bundles of products and services that the CRAs want you to buy instead.

Follow these tips when ordering your credit reports...

EQUIFAX

-To order online, go to www.equifax.com. At the top of the page, “Equifax Products” link under “Personal” and select “Compare Products” under “Other Products”, which will bring you to a list of options, click on the tab at the top which says “Report Only”. Make sure you click on “Equifax Credit Report for $10.50”, and unclick the box on the right-hand side of the page next to the words “Add Equifax Credit Ranking for only $8.95” too, you don’t need that. -To order by phone, call 800-685-1111 -To order by mail, send your request to Equifax Information Services, Disclosure Dept, PO Box 740241, GA 30374

-To order online, go to www.transunion.com and then click on “FACT ACT” at the bottom of your screen under the heading “More for Consumers”. At the bottom of that page you’ll see a highlighted area to click on to order a single copy of your TransUnion credit report. -To order by phone, call 800-916-8800 -To order by mail, mail your request letter to TransUnion, Consumer Disclosure Center, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022-2000